Tesla Faces Scrutiny Over Self-Driving Tech and Driver Distraction

Experts raise concerns about Tesla's Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features enabling dangerous texting and driving behavior.

Apr. 11, 2026 at 5:25am

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A highly detailed, glowing 3D illustration of a Tesla vehicle's internal sensors and computer systems, with neon cyan and magenta lights illuminating the complex digital infrastructure that powers the company's self-driving features. The image conveys a sense of advanced, yet potentially risky, technology that is the focus of ongoing safety debates.As Tesla pushes the boundaries of autonomous driving, concerns grow over the company's approach to driver monitoring and the potential risks of its self-driving features.Today in Miami

Tesla's self-driving technologies, including Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD), have come under increasing scrutiny from safety advocates, regulators, and experts. While Tesla CEO Elon Musk has suggested the systems will 'allow you to text and drive essentially,' critics argue this encourages illegal and unsafe behavior. Tesla faces lawsuits, investigations, and pressure to improve driver monitoring and prevent misuse of its autonomous features.

Why it matters

The debate over Tesla's self-driving tech highlights broader concerns about the safety and reliability of autonomous vehicles, as well as the potential for these systems to enable dangerous driver distraction. As Tesla expands its FSD software, it must address these issues to maintain public trust and avoid further regulatory crackdowns.

The details

Tesla offers two automated driving options: Autopilot with lane centering, and the more advanced FSD software that can even summon the car. However, both systems require constant driver supervision, leading to concerns about texting and other distractions. Elon Musk has argued that if people are going to text anyway, it's safer to do so with Tesla's software. But experts question the reliability of Tesla's safety data and cite issues like random braking and non-compliance with traffic rules. Regulators have launched investigations, and Tesla faces lawsuits from customers and shareholders over alleged fraud and design defects. The company was also ordered to pay $243 million in damages over a fatal 2019 Autopilot crash, with the jury finding inadequate measures to track driver attentiveness.

  • In August 2025, a Miami jury ordered Tesla to pay $243 million in damages over a fatal 2019 crash involving Autopilot.
  • Last year, under pressure from regulators, Tesla added '(Supervised)' to its FSD title.
  • This month, an administrative judge in California ordered Tesla to change its Autopilot name or face a sales ban.

The players

Elon Musk

The CEO of Tesla, who has stated that the company's self-driving features will 'allow you to text and drive essentially.'.

Geoff Perlman

A tech executive from Texas who has been testing Tesla's latest self-driving software and believes that texting while driving in a self-driving car is 'just asking for trouble.'

Michael Brooks

The executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, who says that Tesla is 'essentially saying they'll let their drivers break the law.'

Cathy Chase

The president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, who expresses serious concerns that 'until we have independent assurances that any vehicle can perform all driving tasks, drivers should not be distracted.'

Youssef Kamal

A Tesla owner from New Jersey who says he wouldn't rely on Tesla to navigate while texting, but still checks his phone during his commute.

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What they’re saying

“Staring at your phone while hurtling down the highway in a heavy vehicle? That's just asking for trouble.”

— Geoff Perlman, Tech executive

“Tesla is essentially saying they'll let their drivers break the law.”

— Michael Brooks, Executive director, Center for Auto Safety

“Until we have independent assurances that any vehicle can perform all driving tasks, drivers should not be distracted.”

— Cathy Chase, President, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety

“It gets me from A to B, but that's about it.”

— Youssef Kamal, Tesla owner

“It's improved, but it's still far from a fully self-driving car.”

— Ernie Gorrie, Tesla owner

What’s next

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is continuing its investigation into Tesla's driver monitoring practices, and the company faces ongoing legal challenges over its self-driving technology. Regulators and safety advocates will likely continue to scrutinize Tesla's autonomous features and push for stronger safeguards against driver distraction.

The takeaway

Tesla's push to enable texting and other distractions while using its self-driving features highlights the broader challenges and risks of autonomous vehicle technology. As the company expands its FSD software, it must address safety concerns and earn public trust to avoid further regulatory crackdowns and legal battles.